Executive Chef at Villa Naj (1 MICHELIN Star), he brings a Sicilian soul to the Oltrepò Pavese. Technique, a keen sense of color, and seasonality shape dishes that respect Italian flavors, weaving research with age-old methods. Since 2023, he has led the kitchen at the Riccagioia site.
Born in Catania in 1991, he grew up among the scents of citrus and sea. At 16, he entered the kitchens of traditional restaurants across the island: hot line, sizzling pans, daily practice. Two years later, he left Sicily to test himself in more demanding environments; a spell in Monte Carlo offered international pace and operational precision. The turning point came with his encounter with Felice Lo Basso: for nine years he became his pupil and right-hand man, working through menus, services, and new openings that shaped his palate for balance and crisp, precise execution.
Since 2023, he has led the kitchen at Villa Naj—a restaurant awarded one MICHELIN Star—which in 2025 moved to Tenuta Riccagioia in Torrazza Coste, at the heart of the Oltrepò Pavese, a historic agricultural research hub and a landscape of vineyards. The new setting, all rolling hills and vine rows, strengthens dialogue with local producers and consortia.
His cuisine builds a bridge between Sicily and the Oltrepò. He works by subtraction on Mediterranean aromas—citrus, almond, herbs—grafting them onto local meats, vegetables, and wines. Plating plays with shapes, colors, and textures, while a tasting progression “journey” orders the story by seasons and micro-terroirs. The current offering highlights preparations such as citrus risotto with cuttlefish and almond or parmigiana eliche, examples of clean syntax and direct flavor.
Day to day, he favors ferments, charcoal cooking, and light stocks, alongside processes inherited from home cooking (oil-based sauces, gently stewed vegetables, extended breadings) and contemporary techniques learned over the years with Lo Basso. The result is a table that seeks equilibrium and identity over effects: rotating produce, short supply chains, and careful attention to bread and olive oil (including Sicilian oils) as sensory drivers.
The move to Riccagioia consolidates his link with the Oltrepò Pavese, an evolving wine area: Villa Naj engages with the agricultural fabric and local consortia, offering a contemporary reading of the territory without losing the island imprint that has marked the chef’s growth. The MICHELIN star remains the frame that attests to the project’s solidity.
